The Ties That Bind
by Mendeia
Summary: When the Titans are called to Gotham to handle something unusual, Raven is confronted with some of her worst fears, Robin tries to reunite with his father, and Beast Boy discovers that love can be very hard. Now with Chapter 5 finally uploaded!
1. The Past Returns

Author's Notes - A few things before we begin:

1) This story is a crossover between several different series, but it is primarily a story about the Teen Titans. Don't be surprised when we meet other characters (who do link together, after all), but just keep in mind that, interesting as some of those other characters may be, the focus here are the Teen Titans themselves (if you like the Static Shock references, go read my fic on that series).

2) This story takes place amidst a couple of different timelines. In the Teen Titans universe, this is shortly after the trip to Tokyo. In the Static Shock universe, this takes place before Ebon and Hotstreak are accidentally merged into one being, but not much before (probably within weeks of that event). In the Batman universe (The New Adventures animated version), this takes place after Tim has begun to step into Dick's old role as Robin. And I do realize that to some degree the Teen Titans and Batman cartoon universes aren't possible because of Robin's age difference between series, but I'm not the one who made the cartoons that way! So we're just going to stick with the Teen Titans age, since that makes the most sense.

3) I am deliberately taking some liberties with how the Teen Titans met, but it's nothing extraordinarily different from what is shown in the episode "Go!" The only thing I am adjusting is the relationship between Robin and Raven prior to their encounter with the others. I am also taking some liberties with the Batman universe regarding Tim Drake (his appearance, his history, etc). What can I say? Deal with it.

4) I am attempting to explore a couple of things in this story: Beast Boy – Raven (romantic) interaction, Robin – Batman (father/son) interaction, and Raven's inner struggle with herself (and Ebon). Those of you who are crazy Robin – Starfire fans, sorry. I do approve of and support that pairing in this story, but it's not my focus so I'm not going to spend a lot of time developing it. No flames, please.

And, of course, as always, I do not own the Teen Titans, Batman, any of the Static Shock characters, the Justice League, or anybody else who accidentally ends up in this story. They all belong to various other legal and creative bodies, and while I can whine and pine, they will never be mine.

Please leave me some reviews, as reviews are what keep me going on these (otherwise I get frustrated and stop before the end, and you wouldn't want that… ). And no flames, please. Constructive criticism is good, but random "i hate yur gutz" doesn't mean anything. I am always open to suggestions and ideas, so feel free.

Thanks and enjoy!

* * *

Robin stood alone on the roof of the Titan's Tower just after sunrise. The ocean was calm today, its waves barely seeming to ripple against the rocks below. Looking out into the bay and the ocean beyond, Robin felt his heart flop again. He wished he could be as calm as the sea, wished that the waves rippling his everyday sensibilities would subside. Serenity was the one skill he had never been able to master, not when it mattered.

Feeling a prickle on the back of his neck, Robin turned to see Raven coming to stand beside him. He wasn't surprised; he had expected she would want to see him after his announcement downstairs. She was, in a lot of ways, Robin's best friend and his only equal. Robin had risked everything to save her from Trigon, and in bringing her back to the world, had been gentler with Raven than he had ever been with another human being. Robin did have incredible faith in Raven; he was sure that if goodness could live in the heart of one such as her, tried and scarred as she was, then there was always hope for the world. Of all his friends, Raven was unique among them in his estimation. Not the way Robin and Starfire were more than friends; this was closer to brother and sister.

As she approached, the boy wonder could tell Raven was in her own way as anxious as he was. Ever since Raven had entered his mind to save him from the delusions of Slade's mask, there had been a bond between them, one Robin little understood and yet deeply appreciated. The psychic link had resulted in more than just a deepening of trust; bits of Raven's thoughts and feelings leaked through to Robin sometimes, enhancing their mutual support and camaraderie as well as their teamwork. He had a sneaking suspicion that she allowed this leakage consciously because it helped her feel less isolated knowing she was understood. Especially after the experience with Trigon, the bond had grown, and the sense of kinship between the heroes deepened. Not that they never spoke of it. Raven rarely spoke of anything intimate or emotional like that, but Robin was pretty sure he knew Raven's heart better than anyone ever had. Now, she stood silently, sharing his view of the sea for a few moments before breaking the stillness.

"You're not going to tell them, are you?" Raven's emotionless voice was tinged with a rare inflection; it wasn't accusation, not exactly, but something more like rebuke. Robin sighed.

"I'll have to tell them eventually. Once we get there, everything will come out. About me and my past and…" Robin turned from the horizon and looked at Raven, trying to keep his own emotions out of his voice. "I've never really been open with any of you about who I was before the Titans. You're the only one who knows anything about me as someone other than Robin, and given the chance, I probably wouldn't have told you, either. How do you start that kind of conversation? I can't just walk back there and say, 'well, by the way, I had a whole other life before and it was like this and, oh, yeah, he's my father.' "

"Yes, you can," Raven said, her monotone voice more gentle. "I did." She gave the smallest of smiles, and Robin smiled wryly in return. She was right, of course, and he knew it. Raven had had to have that very conversation with the Titans, over a year ago, when her own father and her past were suddenly flung into the present. Of course, Raven's father was far different. He was evil incarnate. Robin's father was just, well, he wasn't normal but at least he wasn't evil. But if the Titans could handle the shock of finding out that Raven's father was the devil himself, Robin's father could hardly be more of a shock to them.

"Do you want to go back?" Raven asked Robin.

"Well, sort of. I want to see him again, show him how much I've changed. And I'm curious about why he called us in," another smile, "but how do I go back there and stay the person I've become here? You know what he's like. I don't want to become different just because I'm back in that house. And I have no idea how he'll react to Starfire. Talk about polar opposites." He groaned.

"Well, look at it this way. He's never asked for help before, and he's never called you back. Maybe things will be different this time. And my guess is there's more to this than meets the eye." She stepped closer and put a hand on his shoulder. Raven rarely touched her teammates, but when she did, it meant something. "Besides, you're not going alone." Again with Raven's tiny smile. Even with the blue cloak hiding part of her face, Raven's eyes were kind.

"You're probably right," Robin conceded, taking a breath. "Thanks." At Raven's arched eyebrow, he explained, "for keeping my secrets all this time. And for understanding."

"It's the least I can do," Raven replied. She turned to look back at the sea, dropping her hand, and Robin felt a weight lift off his shoulders, the emotional weight of being so anxious. She was right. He wasn't alone this time and he was a new person. It would be okay.

Robin started to say something else, but a loud CRASH and a shake from the floor below interrupted him. Dimly, somewhere, they could hear Cyborg shouting at Beast Boy.

"The more things change," Robin began, turning back to the stairs.

"The more they stay the same," Raven finished firmly. Catching each other's eye, they both went down to intercept whatever had just erupted in the living room. It didn't take a mind-reader to know there would be a mess to clean up before they could leave.

--==OOO==--

Several hours earlier, in fact, very early in the morning (if you could call it morning), a box underneath Robin's bed began to make a persistent beeping noise. Robin, being a light sleeper, woke at the first sound from the long-forgotten communicator. With a thrill, of fear and excitement and a great deal of surprise, he pulled the little-used box out and opened it. Inside, tucked between a few pictures, some old weapons, and a very familiar utility belt, resided a small communicator. It was the same technology that the Teen Titans used, but instead of being round and yellow, it was long, black, and shaped like a bat.

"Robin here," he said automatically, wondering what could cause such an out-of-the-blue communication. The screen fuzzed, then resolved into the face of a man Robin hadn't seen in almost three years: Bruce Wayne.

"Sleeping in your mask, I see," Bruce said dryly. Robin remembered how much Bruce hated a lack of discipline or self-awareness, which forgetting to remove his mask indicated. He blushed slightly and pulled it off. Besides Raven, none of the Teen Titans had ever seen him without it.

"What's going on?" Robin asked, hoping he sounded matter-of-fact and logical.

"I require you to return to me, Dick," Bruce said, and the sound of his name in his adopted-father's voice caused him to straighten his shoulders a touch more. "There is a new problem in Gotham and I believe you and your team will be better suited to dealing with it than I alone."

"What kind of problem?"

"How much do you know about the goings-on in the city of Dakota?" It was just like him to answer a question with a question.

"Some chemical genius accidentally exposed a portion of the population to some gas and many of them have developed a range of abilities. Two of them, Static and Gear, have emerged to look out for the citizens," he reported woodenly. Of course he had kept up on the news in the last few years. Secretly, Robin was just as glad that Dakota had a couple of heroes of its own; he had enough to do trying to look out for Jump City.

"That's correct. Well, it appears that a few of the 'Bang Babies' as they are colloquially called have relocated to Gotham. Their powers are extraordinary."

"Sir," Robin began hesitantly. He hated interrupting Bruce; it always ended in a scowl. However, this time, his mentor only waited for him to continue. "If they're from Dakota, why don't you ask Static and Gear to come? They're more experienced with them, and…" Robin trailed off, suddenly sorry he had mentioned it. This was the first time ever that Bruce had called him home. Did he sound like a coward, unwilling to come back to his old haunts? Did he sound afraid, or worse, not up to the task?

"I do realize that," Bruce said not unkindly, "but Static and Gear are rather in the middle of some other things right now, and cannot be called away." Robin saw Bruce's face twitch ever so slightly, and guessed it had something to do with the Justice League, of which the two Dakota heroes were junior members. Robin never knew how Superman had convinced Batman to join their club, but he knew from long experience how little regard Bruce had for the whole mess at times. At heart, Batman was truly a loner. Bruce continued, however, "As I am not precisely equipped to deal with these abilities, I thought it more prudent to contact you directly. As such, I would like to extend my hospitality to you and your team for such time as is needed to deal with this…problem."

"Of course we'll come. I'll wake the others and we can be in Gotham this afternoon," Robin said. He felt like doing backflips. His mentor, his father, wanted his help and he was going home. It felt like a miracle. It was worrisome, for sure, as he would now be tested to the height of his abilities by the only man whose opinion had ever mattered, but after three years, Dick Grayson missed his adoptive father more than he could possibly admit, even to himself.

"Very well. I shall inform Alfred to prepare an evening meal for us then. I am, ahem, already conversant with the various requirements and diets of your team." He raised an eyebrow, looking somewhat amused. That was Bruce's subtle way of reminding Robin that it was the Wayne money that supported the whole team's expenditures. The Titans never really asked Robin where all the money came from for the Tower, their technology, or their food, given that they all knew the stipend from the mayor of Jump City wasn't nearly enough, and Robin hadn't ever found a good way to explaining it. But sometimes he felt ashamed of how much they ate, or broke, at Bruce's expense.

"Oh, and Dick?" Bruce said, as if it had suddenly occurred to him, which of course it hadn't, "You will not wear that mask in the house. Alfred won't have it and neither will I. Please inform your friends as to the situation and all its particulars on that matter. I shall see you in a few hours." The ghost of a smile played across the man's strong face, and then he cut the transmission.

The boy wonder sat back on his heels and digested that last comment. "The situation and all its particulars" could only mean one thing: Bruce was telling him to tell the Titans their secret identities. If he was not going to be allowed to wear his mask, then Bruce did not expect to keep secrets from the team. That thought chilled him. Out of habit, he placed the mask firmly back over his face, its familiar warm fabric a comfort. Living behind the mask helped Robin keep work separate from Dick and his emotions, but Robin wondered if he was just fooling himself, that somehow he was as open and vulnerable to his friends as if he had been honest about himself all along.

--==OOO==--

The morning had passed very quickly after that. Robin, safely wrapped in his costume again, promptly woke everyone and told them that they were going on a trip, once the grumbling about the pre-dawn wake-up call had receded. Raven had raised an eyebrow at him, and Robin knew somehow that she had guessed everything. He supposed he must be radiating a sense of "home" that she would empathically understand. The other three were less reserved in their responses.

"Where are we going, Robin?" Starfire asked, her face lit by excitement. "Is it a vacation as was our time in Japan? Although," her face fell a bit, "I had believed a 'vacation' to be slightly more restful experience than that visit."

"Booyah!" shouted Cyborg. "Time to get outta the city and cut loose!"

"Yeah," echoed Beast Boy, jumping up in some kind of dance, "we're gonna party like it's, uh…" He stopped and looked around. "What year is it, anyway?"

"I don't think this is going to be a vacation, Beast Boy," Raven said, pinning the changeling with her eyes. Beast Boy had the decency to wiggle under her glare, but still perked his ears at Robin.

"So where're we going, then?"

"Gotham City. We're needed. Everybody pack light, and I mean LIGHT," Robin said, reminding his team about the mess that had happened when they tried to pack for Japan. He pointedly ignored Raven's slight nod as the others began to discuss packing.

"I'll still need all my tools and parts, man," Cyborg said.

"No," Robin said with a smile. "You won't. Trust me."

--==OOO==--

After the discussion with Raven on the rooftop, Robin felt like he could finally restore some order. Maybe not in himself, but at least among his teammates, anyway. Truth be told, the last thing Robin wanted to appear before Batman with was, instead of a team of hardened, well-trained heroes, a group of arguing and frivolous teens on a holiday. Unfortunately, organizing Beast Boy was, as usual, a challenge. By the time Raven and Robin got back to the living room, they saw the result of what appeared to be an argument between Cyborg and Beast Boy about who needed to bring more stuff, which had somehow ended in the suitcases going everywhere and the couch getting ripped. Again.

Robin maintained his temper pretty admirably, but he made it clear that this behavior was not going to fly in Gotham.

"I want everybody packed and in the T-Ship in the next five minutes or you can stay here with Titans East and look after Jump City! Got it?"

Robin's face was set and the more rambunctious Titan, at whom most of the criticism was leveled, shrunk an inch or two, then proceeded to throw only one green bag in the storage compartment. Raven had two bags, which by the look and heft of them were probably books, which Robin did not bother to argue about. Starfire had three purple and pink bags, and goodness knew what was in them, but at least they weren't moving. Cyborg after arguing with Robin about what kind of "facilities" they would have, finally settled on two bags of his specialized equipment. Robin, after a moment's thought, took the box from under his bed, loaded a few extra bits and pieces in it, but brought nothing else. He knew what would be waiting, knew that for once, someone else would be planning ahead for him.

--==OOO==--

The Titans set out for Gotham City, a flight significantly shorter than their recent one to Japan. As they neared the city limits, the sky nearly black even in the early afternoon, Robin's communicator beeped again. His other communicator. With the open com channels between the different cockpits, everyone could hear it. Trying not to look at any of them, Robin pulled it from where he had kept it in his belt after the morning's call. With some semblance of dignity, he activated the bat-shaped device.

"Robin here."

"Change of plans. The Metabreed are on the offensive. Send your aircraft to the hangar on autopilot," Robin breathed a sigh of relief that he had programmed their destination into the T-Ship already, "and get your team out here." There was an explosion. "We're a little outnumbered." Batman's voice was cold and authoritative.

"We're on our way!" Robin replied briskly, his blood singing inside. He cut the connection and immediately spoke to the Titans.

"Team, we've got some serious villains out there, and we've got to stop them. Get ready to leave the T-Ship and head into battle!"

"Who were you just talking to, Rob?" Cyborg asked, checking the coordinates for the autopilot.

"An old friend. I assume you've heard of Batman?"


	2. The Dark Night

Author's Note:

Sorry for the long break between chapters. I'm writing this at work and I can't do much at a time. However, I can promise that there's lots to come as I've got about 6 chapters already in almost-postable shape. What can I say? I'm an editing fanatic. But I can promise to finish what I begin, even if it take a long time.

Anyway, thanks everyone for the comments. You're all nice-awesome-wonderful people. Please continue to leave supportive and thought-provoking messages, although "u rock" is nicer than "i hate ur gutz." But I'll take what I can get, and I am glad if you like what I've done.

As always, I don't own anybody in this story, just the tale itself.

Oh, one other note. I am deliberately switching perspectives here, and the narrative should reflect that. I'm going for a looser, more conscious "voice," so when you're seeing the action from Beast Boy's angle, it should feel different. That's deliberate. So no flames about omnipotent third-person or my use of contractions. You're looking over someone's shoulder, not down on top of them. Just FYI.

Have fun!

* * *

Once the Titans had gotten that jolt out of their system, they prepared for battle. Beast Boy's face was still a perfect example of shock even as he fiddled with his controls. Batman! Everybody knew about Batman! Batman was one of the original heroes, one of those guys kids wanted to be just like when they grew up. He was in some ways the coolest hero because he, as far as everybody knew, didn't have any real "powers." He was just smart and dedicated and could handle anything! Or could he? Beast Boy started wondering why Batman would ask the Teen Titans for help. Surely the Justice League was more his style. And why did Robin have a communicator from him?

Beast Boy's ruminations were interrupted by Cyborg confirming autopilot and warning everyone to prepare to exit. Beast Boy transformed in the cockpit. Starfire couldn't help but giggle, seeing Beast Boy in his hawk-form trying to sit on the plane's seat, but Raven seemed focused inward as always. Why couldn't he ever make her smile? He flapped around, trying to get her attention, until Robin gave the command that got everybody's juices flowing.

"Titans, now!"

Cyborg hit the release button and all five wind-shields popped up at once, exposing them all to the rushing air and atmosphere in mid-flight. Raven and Starfire immediately took to the sky, while Beast Boy had to struggle with the wind, grumbling to himself about unfair superpowers and how birds weren't really meant for this. After a moment, however, he had enough balance to change into a pterodactyl instead, and reached over and plucked Cyborg out of the T-Ship as it banked off to the right, wind-shields snapping back down. With Robin hanging from Starfire's hands, they flew into the city.

Beast Boy looked around, his sight much magnified in dinosaur form. Gotham sure was different from Jump City! Both were built on a seacoast, but where Jump City was warm and sunny, Gotham seemed to exist under a perpetual storm cloud. The architecture was dark and gothic, with gargoyles and other odd formations poking out of the shadows. Everything looked gloomily majestic, both intimidating and powerful. Somehow, the whole thing reminded him of Raven. Or at least, like the front she put on. Glancing off to his left, where Raven flew, her face its usual mask of focused apathy beneath her hood, Beast Boy wondered if sunlight ever shone into the heart of Gotham, as he knew it sometimes did in Raven. But why she kept it inside was something the changeling had never really understood.

A shout from Starfire brought his attention back forward. In the shadows of the city, somewhere near what looked like the heart of town, fire spurted into the sky. Beast Boy brought his focus back to the task at hand. Robin gestured towards the evident trouble and shouted, "Let's hurry! Titans, go!"

"You say that too much," Beast Boy thought to himself, elated nonetheless. He absolutely loved being a hero, and hearing that "Titans, go" ring out always made him feel at his best. As they banked towards the chaos, Raven suddenly stopped.

"Wait."

"What is it, friend Raven? Do you sense something treacherous ahead?" Starfire asked, turning rapidly to rejoin the unmoving Raven. The beautiful alien had an innate sense for Raven's monosyllabic communication, even at her most cryptic. Raven's deep cape flapped around her legs in the wind.

"Yes. There are three of them, but one is…hidden. I can't seem to find him. But he's dangerous, more than the other two. We can't just go in there without knowing where that one is." Beast Boy thought he detected a shadow of something flick across Raven's face, but it was gone before he could name it. Robin wasted no time.

"Right. Beast Boy, you and Raven track down whatever that is. We'll take care of the other two," Robin said, disentangling his grappling line from his utility belt with one hand. Gotham hadn't changed much; he could still get around it under his own power almost as fast as any of them could fly. He launched himself out of Starfire's grip as Beast Boy transferred Cyborg to her. As the three Titans moved towards the more visible disturbance, Beast Boy switched back to a hawk. Raven floated silent for a moment, eyes closed. She had a way of holding perfectly still that was a little unnerving, and Beast Boy found himself staring idly. Good thing she couldn't tell! Finally her eyes opened.

"This way," she said, streaking off in a direction parallel to the way their friends had gone. Beast Boy followed, his keen eyes and ears and even sense of smell searching for whatever they were chasing. But whatever it was, he couldn't locate it using those senses. "I guess I'll just have to trust Raven," he thought as he winged through the wind.

--==OOO==--

As Robin swung from building to building on his grappling cord, a fierce smile lit up his face. Of course he loved flying with his friends; there was nothing like hanging from Starfire's hands or Beast Boy's claws, or those rare times when Raven allowed him to "surf" with her on a disk of her power. But this swinging from place to place under his own power was special, too. Approaching what he knew was one of Gotham's biggest banks, he saw several figures silhouetted against the firelight on the rooftop where something had obviously erupted in flames not too long before. One filled him with a sense of belonging, but another made him almost miss the next cast of his hook. It was Batman…and Robin.

Starfire set Cyborg on the burning rooftop as Robin swung into place beside them. For a moment, they all stared. It was Batman for sure, his cape flapping, his impeccable martial arts showing themselves to be better than first-rate, as he tried to deal with something that seemed to be actually in the fire that raged and backlit the whole scene. But a bit away stood another, shorter Robin, trying to take down what looked like a half-girl, half-bird in flight. Robin shook his head; he had known Bruce had taken up another ward, but not that this new kid was his new Robin as well. The costume, the fighting style, everything was his. A touch of jealousy raced through the original boy-wonder. Then he shook himself back to the situation at hand. The city needed them. Emotions could come later.

"Starfire, take that one!" he shouted, pointing at the airborne Talon, whom Robin identified from the news reports. The Metabreed. The worst of Dakota. Great. Starfire shook her head with a perplexed look on her face and went obediently off to support the other Robin, who was apparently not faring as well against a flying foe. Gesturing to Cyborg, Robin raced forward, pulling out his retractable staff. Batman was trying to get at the fire-bound kid, Hotstreak, but he definitely needed some support. The punk was even taunting Batman.

"You think you're so hot! Check this out!" he shouted, laughing, as flames burst forth and rent part of the roof under their feet into ashes.

"Well, in case you hadn't heard, we're here to cool you off!" Robin shouted, racing with Cyborg to where the Dark Knight was leaping nimbly away from the crumbling parapet. Batman recovered himself and swung back around to land a blow, Robin a step behind. Cyborg planted himself and aimed his cannon at the Bang Baby, but it was Robin and Batman who seemed to fly as they moved in unforgotten harmony after something that threatened their city.

--==OOO==--

Raven finally landed on a rooftop that overlooked the building where the other Teen Titans were trying to deal with some pretty nasty-looking bad guys. Beast Boy could see one dude who threw fire making Batman and Robin and Cyborg do a hot-foot dance, which would have been funny if the building weren't actually burning around them. There was also some girl who could fly, doing circles around Starfire and…Robin? That was confusing. Shaking his head, he turned back to himself, then to a bloodhound, as Raven began moving cautiously into the shadows cast by gargoyles spread across the rooftop. Even at midday, it was still dark enough under the clouds to obscure their vision somewhat.

"Be careful, Beast Boy," she warned, her voice low. His ears pricked up as he caught the scent of something. It wasn't quite human, he was sure of that. It smelled like sulfur, sort of, and it made the hairs on the back of his neck and back stand straight up. And it was everywhere. Staying close to Raven, he tried to localize the scent.

Suddenly, blackness formed out of the shadows in front of them, a blackness darker even then Raven's soul-self. Beast Boy threw himself out of the way and returned to himself again, unsure what to do next, but Raven had no such inhibitions. Almost as if she had been expecting it, she launched herself into the air and lifted some nearby crates with her power. They exploded upon contact with the living shadow, but the being seemed unaware of the attack. Raven's eyes glowed black, and her hands burned. She switched from lifting things to actively striking with sharp lances of power. The changeling, meanwhile, shifted from foot to foot, unsure what to do, watching her fight darkness with darkness. Somehow, his instincts told him that a physical attack would not be a good idea.

"Beast Boy," she shouted as she struck the unflinching shadow that only seemed to grow larger, "stay back. Don't let it touch you, no matter what!"

"What do you mean?" he asked, hastily backpedaling away from it, instincts validated. As he looked at the shadow now, part of it kind of looked like a person.

"She means," whispered a hard voice that seemed to come from everywhere, "that I can do this!" The shadow launched itself at Beast Boy who changed quickly into a fox to dodge it, but it was faster even than he. As the shadow almost closed around him, he felt himself enveloped in Raven's familiar dark power. She dropped down beside him, hands spread wide as she held a dome around them. The shadow broke over it like a wave on the shore, pulsating against the shield, and for a moment it seemed to merge with Raven's own black light. Beast Boy, human-shaped again, couldn't actually tell her dome apart from that she defended against when they touched. Then it recoiled and struck again.

"What is this thing?" he asked, awe-struck.

"I…I'm not sure," Raven said, her face set in concentration. Beast Boy had heard Raven mad, almost happy, hopeless, courageous, and all shades of irritated, but he had only once heard her voice tinged with this kind of fear. Like the shadow, whatever or whoever it was, was really bad. Bad like Trigon had been bad.

"Uh, Raven? How are we supposed to fight it?" Beast Boy asked.

"I'm not sure," she said again, this time with a familiar snap in her voice. Then she looked across at him, as though making a choice. "Stay here."

"Raven!" Beast Boy shouted, as she left him enclosed in her dome, slipping out of it and back up into the air. As Beast Boy watched, she resumed her attack on the shadow. As the darkness let go of Raven's shield, its attention now fully on her, Beast Boy tried to get loose, but even his strongest animal powers couldn't break through Raven's wall of dark light. Then, all at once, the shadow retreated and disappeared altogether.

"What the…?" Beast Boy started. Then, looking up at Raven, who would have looked astonished if she displayed facial expressions, he shouted, "You can let me out now!"

"Oh. Sorry," Raven said, waving her power away. She landed back on the rooftop beside him, unable to hide her troubled eyes beneath her shadowy hood.

"Why did you do that?" he asked grumpily.

"I didn't want you getting in the way," Raven said, that same harsh edge to her voice. Beast Boy crossed his arms and glared at her.

"I can take care of myself! You should know that by now!" He flailed in irritation as Raven sighed.

"I do know that, Beast Boy. But this one is way out of your league."

--==OOO==--

The fight felt like pure artistry. Robin was astounded by how much he had grown. Not only was he several inches taller now than he had been the last time he had fought alongside his mentor, but he was almost as fast as Batman. His instincts had been honed, too; he was far better at gauging Batman's moves and providing appropriate cover or support with cat-like reflexes. What Robin really wanted to do was to level this guy all on his own, to show Batman how far he'd come, but after the first blast of flame, that didn't seem plausible. Cyborg, maintaining a stationary position off to the side, fired his cannon many times, but Hotstreak used his fire as a shield somehow. It made it harder that they couldn't get anywhere near him for long without getting burned. Robin was about to call Starfire down from her fight when something very strange happened.

From below, out of one of the holes Hotstreak had burned in the roof, came a sudden shadow, intensely black against the grey-ish sky. It rose from the darkness of the space below and moved directly towards Hotstreak.

"Ebon," Robin heard Batman say as the Dark Knight moved to try to intercept. But as soon as the shadow reached Hotstreak, it engulfed him and retreated. A heartbeat later, a shout from Starfire above showed that Talon, too, had been pulled straight out of the fight from mid-air. Starfire gripped the arm of the other Robin and carried him to where her Robin stood waiting.

"What happened? Where'd they go?" Cyborg asked as they gathered to survey the damage. Starfire neatly ducked into the building and came up with a fire hose that promptly extinguished the remaining flames. Without Hotstreak to encourage them, the fires were now much smaller and more manageable.

"Ebon took them," Batman said, standing behind Cyborg. "They have retreated. You will return to base with me for a full debriefing." Cyborg's jaw dropped and even Starfire looked a little taken aback by Batman's cold manner. Robin shook his head a little at the familiar attitude, and saw with some satisfaction that the other Robin was also not entirely comfortable with Batman's attitude.

"Please, could someone tell me why there is another Robin?" Starfire asked, turning towards "her" Robin. "I know of your small, amusing doppelganger, but this," and she poked the second Robin in the arm, "does not seem to be quite like him."

"Hey! I'm not a 'this!' I'm a person!" shouted the shorter boy.

"I apologize. I only meant that I am most confused by the presence of two Robins. Is this one of the 'things of the guys' that I am simply not to understand?" She looked around expectantly. Cyborg sighed.

"I think we ought to…" But before the Titan's leader could get any farther, they were all interrupted by a shout from Beast Boy, somewhere above them.

"Nooo!"

--==OOO==--

As Beast Boy stared at Raven, trying to figure out how exactly to respond to her comment, his animalistic senses suddenly blazed in alarm. Raven and Beast Boy whirled around at almost the same instant, and to their horror saw the black thing rise up again, faster and more purposely than before.

"Raven!" Beast Boy shouted. They were both right in its path! But instead of getting out of the way herself, Raven flung her power out wide, like a whip, and pushed Beast Boy clear off of the building. In midair he switched to a bird, streaking back as fast as his wings could carry him back to the rooftop, but he was a moment too slow. The instant Raven could have escaped was lost; the shadow fell upon her like a mudslide, engulfed her, and retreated. Raven was gone.

"Nooo!" Beast Boy found himself shouting as he dropped into his normal shape again. He raced across the blacktop to the place he thought the shadow had come from. To his surprise, he could actually see it: a whirlpool or a cloud or some kind of nightmare, blacker than the natural shadows around it, writhing against a wall like a tempest at sea. Beast Boy approached it, not entirely sure what would happen, or what he would do, when he got there. But he had to do something.

"Stop!" The order was barked from behind, and the force of it literally halted Beast Boy in his tracks. Turning in surprise, he found everyone behind him, gathered on the rooftop's edge. Batman stepped forward, his hand out. Ranged behind, Robin and Star and Cyborg and another, shorter Robin, stood battle-ready, having raced to help at his cry. In a few long strides, Batman was beside the green boy.

"Don't touch it, whatever you do." His voice was cold and emotionless.

"But Raven's in there. It grabbed her!" he shouted.

"I know. But Ebon will only pull you in, and you cannot escape him."

"Ebon?" The name sounded somehow familiar, like something Robin would have been rambling about over newspaper clippings. Beast Boy knew he should have read the news more often! The others came to stand with them, their eyes locked on the dark vortex.

"Ebon," Batman began, "is a meta-human from Dakota City, leader of the so-called Metabreed gang. He possesses incredible intelligence and is both calculating and malicious. He is a being of shadow and can travel inter-dimensionally from any place of darkness to any other, instantly, taking along any who fall or are pulled into what is left of his body." Batman, looking more shadow than man himself, stared intently at the roiling darkness before him.

"But then friend Raven…" began Starfire.

"She'll be okay, Star," Cyborg quickly comforted her, his voice warm but firm. "Raven's stronger than he is."

"I do not know what to expect. Raven is also an inter-dimensional being, and shadow as well. She does have very similar abilities. I did not anticipate something like this." The Bat's eyes narrowed.

Robin, the Titan's Robin, nearly fell over at this. Batman, not plan for an eventuality! That was like pigs flying! However, as he considered it, he himself had never noticed the parallels between Raven and Ebon, either, in spite of following the news about Dakota. Although technically they were very alike, Raven was still so different from the Metabreed leader. Besides actually having a body, she also had an active power. And a heart. Robin moved next to Beast Boy who could not take his eyes off the shadow.

"What can we do?" Beast Boy asked anyone who might answer.

"We can only wait." Batman's toneless voice had rarely sounded so heartless. "Either she will return to this side or Ebon will absorb her and disappear from this location. I believe…" and he spoke very quietly, "it largely depends on her."

--==OOO==--

What felt like hours of nervous heartbeats passed in silence. Ebon's "footprint" grew and shrank but never disappeared entirely. It seemed to fluctuate, as though attempting to do something, but what a shadow whirlpool could be attempting to do, no one had any idea. The only sounds were the city noises from the street, and the approaching sirens of the police and fire department to deal with the ruined and burning bank below.

"Ah!" Robin cried out in sudden, lurching vertigo, breaking the otherwise silent vigil and clapping his hands to his head. The world spun in front of his eyes, and he found himself on his knees. Robin was dimly aware that Batman had kneeled down to support him, and to prevent him from striking the ground. He also had some sense of the Titans gathered around, all but Beast Boy, who looked at him worriedly but whose gaze went back to Ebon's shadow.

Robin closed his eyes completely and looked inward. It was Raven, he was sure of it. The bond between them had never been so open, or so painful. Robin felt like something was literally pulling on his mind, trying to yank it from his body. He realized that his link with Raven might be the only way of reaching her, so instead of resisting it, he let go into the feeling that was drawing at him. With his eyes closed, the physical world abruptly fell away and he spiraled into shadow.

Robin was floating, dimly aware that his mind was probably part-way between the real world and Ebon's world. He could see only unending darkness, not the same kind that filled him when he traveled with Raven's soul-self, but something far more sinister in its absolute lack of light. It seemed to surround him and go on forever, like being in space without a single star, nothingness in a void. There was whispering too, even laughing, all of it cruel and harsh, echoing back and forth from the darkness, Ebon's voice and thoughts. Then, somewhere in the expanse, he could also hear Raven. She was shouting, but the words were lost in the cavernous space.

"Raven!" Robin cried out. The bond was now like a bridge in his mind, and as he moved one careful step farther along it, he could see Raven in the blackness. She was holding her power around her and flying blindly, resisting tendrils of ebony shadow that tried to wrap themselves around her. Did she seem to be getting weaker? Or was he just imagining it? Raven's power's normal ebb and flow was more strained, certainly, and he could have sworn at one point it faded entirely into the surrounding darkness that was Ebon himself.

"Raven, this way! Raven, follow me!" he shouted, things clicking into place. She needed an anchor to find her way out, an anchor that only he could provide. Robin called to her again, hoping that she had heard him through the inky galaxy. He reached for her with his mind, as though he could somehow draw her near with his own stubborn will. He felt tension, as though he had thrown a grappling hook and she was now using it to pull herself along. He bent all his strength to the line of whatever it was that led to her. A dark bird, dark but a relief against this unending blackness, rose up before his eyes, and he felt a touch in his mind. Somewhere, Raven's voice whispered, "thank you, Robin." Then the real world came rushing back.

Robin opened his eyes to see the cloud on the wall suddenly enlarge. Raven's body flew violently out of it as though launched from within, landing in Beast Boy's unsuspecting arms. Robin tried to rise to his feet, but was struck with dizziness again. Batman wordlessly gave him an arm, then led him to where Beast Boy held the dark girl. His green skin was pale, still a contrast to Raven's grey skin which was unusually colorless even for her.

"She's unconscious," the changeling said, his voice shaken. The look on his face was some bizarre mixture of confusion, relief, concern, and something else. Beast Boy made no move to hand Raven over to Cyborg, who was hovering protectively, but instead cradled her gently. He looked at Robin, whose head was finally starting to clear. "What were you yelling about?"

"I…" Robin hadn't realized he was yelling aloud. He flushed slightly, then turned to look at the others. But Batman came to the rescue, as always.

"Let us return home."


	3. Behind the Mask

Author's Note:

Sorry for the long break between chapters, again. I've made yet more progress in the story, and the unofficial and as-of-yet-unpublished version is about 7 chapters long, but I still feel the need to edit more. But, once again, I promise to finish this story, even if it take a long time. I'm even considering a sequel…

Anyway, thanks everyone for the comments again. I'm glad people like these things! I hope you can see some things taking shape, not just between BB and Raven, but between and among all the other characters. It's a fun web of interaction and I love messing with it. And I always appreciate any insight or suggestions you might have on how I could improve. I know a little bit of the Batman universe is out of character, but I think it works better for a natural progression when you mix the worlds. Let me know what you think!

As always, I don't own anybody in this story, just the tale itself.

Enjoy!

* * *

The Batcave was a welcome sight for Robin, mostly because of it hadn't changed too much, even if he and his place there had. The Teen Titan, who not so long ago would have ridden at Batman's side in the Batmobile to the manor, actually found himself more comfortably carried by Beast Boy. It was just too strange to think of the other Robin in his place. Hanging from Beast Boy's pterodactyl claws beside Cyborg, Starfire with Raven in her arms nearby, they followed Robin's instructions to the secret hangar entrance to the Batcave. Flying was much faster than navigating through Gotham, so Robin knew they would be home before Batman and the other Robin. Home.

Upon entering the dank cliff-face, Robin felt the anxiety he had been successfully ignoring come surging to the front. He felt oddly out of place, as though he no longer belonged, even as he led the team unerringly through the gloomy cavern. Although everyone was bursting with questions, they instead occupied themselves with looking around the strange hide-out. Cyborg was only barely containing his composure in the face of so many electronic gadgets. Robin had guessed right; there was a whole lab set up specifically for the bionic Titan with every tool, system, and component known to man. Starfire flew up high in the blackness so she could examine the stalactites hanging from the cave roof, which, she exclaimed, reminded her of Tamaran. Beast Boy could not keep himself from bouncing around the cave, either, once he had squeaked a few times at the resident bats above.

"Dude, check out the bike!" Beast Boy yelled, finding something off in a familiar corner. Robin turned, and found his own lab waiting for him, complete with his old cycle. It was just as he had left it. He smiled. His old motorcycle, clean and properly stored, looked great.

"Where do you think I got mine from?" he asked the curious changeling with a quirk to his smile. It took a moment for that to sink in; suddenly Robin realized that this was the moment to tell his team the truth. The time for putting it off was finally past. "Here, Cyborg, why don't you put Raven down in the infirmary?" He gestured to the alcove where he, along with Bruce, had spent many hours recuperating from various scuffles. The bed remained where it had always been, ready with clean sheets and fresh pillows. The team gathered around the old cot nervously as Cyborg gingerly tucked in the unconscious Raven.

"Nice facility," Cyborg said, his voice patient as always. He took a few quick measurements of Raven with some handy instruments, then pronounced that she seemed fine, just physically exhausted and asleep. The largest of the Titans looked at Robin expectantly, waiting for their leader to speak, but the dark-haired teen froze in unanticipated stage-fright and the moment passed. An uncomfortable silence settled around them.

"Guys, I've got something to tell you," Robin said finally, hoping his voice stayed steady and looking down at Raven on the bed. It was easier to stare at her than to look at his friends. But he couldn't put this off forever.

"Something to tell us, friend Robin?" Starfire asked in a lightly-neutral voice. She wanted to help Robin open up, but knew that he could be easily scared off the subject. For all her misused English, Starfire was a deeply-compassionate individual towards all her friends, especially Robin, and she wanted him to know he could talk to her openly. Robin had taught Starfire to trust, and she very much wished to return that kindness.

"Yeah, I've got a couple of questions, too," Beast Boy began. "Like why we're here, how you know Batman, and why there's another Robin. I mean, dude, I though one was enough!" Everybody glared at him, but he smiled good-naturedly, his single fang poking up impishly. Robin smiled, too. Just like Beast Boy to somehow make light of it all.

"I…I've never told you much about my past. But years ago, I was a pretty normal kid, except that I was raised as an acrobat." Robin decided that they didn't necessarily need to know he grew up in a circus or he would never hear the end of it. "Then, one day I lost my family in a terrible accident. I had nowhere to go and nothing to live for but a desire for justice." Robin clenched his fist. Even years later, his parents' senseless death rankled him to the core. But he rushed on, "A man took me in and gave me a home. That man was Batman."

"You mean…?" Starfire was speechless.

"Yes. I grew up here, as Batman's sidekick. By day, I was still a pretty normal kid. Well," and he smiled a bit, "as normal as I've ever been. And by night, I became Robin, sworn to help Batman defend Gotham against anyone who would threaten it. This is where I learned everything I know about crime-fighting, and where all our supplies, money, and technology comes from. This is the only other home I've ever really called my own."

"Wait, are you saying Batman pays for everything?" Cyborg said, astounded.

"Yes."

"Dude! When do I get MY motorcycle?" Beast Boy exclaimed. Robin gave him a look and he backed down. Beast Boy and Cyborg began to look around the Batcave a little more appraisingly.

"But Robin, why did you leave? Why did you come to Jump City?" Starfire asked, green eyes wide. This was the most she had ever known Robin to speak of his past. It was a sensitive subject with the most secretive of the Titans.

"Because of me," Raven said. Everyone had forgotten the unconscious girl in their midst, but her eyes were open now. There was a haunted look in her eyes, and her voice was tightly controlled, but she otherwise betrayed no emotion. "Because when I left Azarath, I came to Gotham first to try to find my way on Earth. But I couldn't stay." She looked away and closed her eyes again.

"Friend Raven, are you all right?" Starfire asked anxiously.

"I'm fine, Starfire," Raven said shortly. She sat up as though to prove it. Her face was its usual mask of impassive stoicism.

"What happened to you in there, Raven?" Cyborg asked, glancing between Raven and Robin. He hated to interrupt Robin's life story, but his concern for Raven was much greater than his curiosity.

"Ebon tried to absorb me, to take me wherever he was going. He's like a portal, a tunnel between two places. I guess the fact that I'm so much like him meant that I could resist. I was able to keep him from sending me wherever he wanted me to go, but I couldn't find the way back. Then," Raven stared straight at the boy wonder, "Robin called to me. It took all the strength I had, but I managed to link to his mind and use it like a guideline. It exhausted me, that's all. And Robin, thank you," she said softly.

"But…you…" Beast Boy began, looking strangely at Raven, then Robin.

"Let her rest now, BB," Cyborg said gently, interrupting him. "We can ask more questions later. Besides," he said, turning to Robin, "we're still waiting for you to tell us why you left Gotham. And what did Raven have to do with it?"

"Raven's right, sort of. She did come to Gotham, I guess because she thought that of everyone on earth, Batman might understand her and what she brought with her. She was probably right. Actually," he said looking at her with a curious smile, "neither of you ever told me what you talked about that first night, but I'll bet you told him about Trigon and everything. Didn't you?" Raven looked away and didn't answer.

"Anyway, we all decided that it would be better for Raven to utilize her powers elsewhere, somewhere the villains were more dangerous. Gotham's a handful," and Robin smiled wanly, "but it doesn't have nearly as many mutants, monsters, and mad scientists. Most of the bad guys are your basic robbers and thugs who work for criminal masterminds, and Batman could deal with them all by himself. But Jump City was in pretty desperate need of help at that point. And Batman said," here Robin took a breath of mixed pride and pain, "that I was ready to go out on my own. So we left to use our abilities in a city that needed us, and we ran into the rest of you, and the Titans happened. And I've only been Robin ever since."

"Indeed, you have, young man," came a soft voice from behind. The Titans turned to see Batman, the other Robin, and an elderly gentleman standing near. It was he who had spoken. Robin smiled shyly. Alfred had a special place in his heart, too. Whenever he had been on the rocks with his adoptive father, Alfred had been there, a gentle, supportive presence and friend.

"Titans, please allow me to introduce…my family." He nervously moved to stand with them. "This is Alfred Pennyworth, confidant of our secrets and caretaker of the Batcave, along with the manor above. He also takes good care of all of us, even through the crazy things we do in this job." Robin spoke proudly, but those who knew him well could see that he was trying hard to control his own emotions.

"I am very pleased to make your acquaintances. I recognize you all, of course," Alfred said kindly. He stepped briskly forward to shake their hands. "Master Cyborg, what a firm grip you have, a fine man! And Master Beast Boy, cleverest of the Titans so I hear," which caused Beast Boy to stammer and wiggle a metaphysical tail. "Miss Starfire, you are lovelier than even the wildest rumors dare approach." Starfire blushed deeply and threw a smile to Robin. "And my dear Miss Raven," Alfred said, offering her a hand which she took delicately, "it is a sincere pleasure to see you again. I do hope you will be with us for longer this time, young lady." Raven smiled wearily, impassive coldness melting from her face at Alfred's teasingly chiding warmth.

"And you, young master," Alfred said, turning finally to Robin, "have been gone far too long for my taste. I must admit, I am glad to see you once again, sir." Alfred put a hand on Robin's shoulder and smiled, his whole face alight with concealed yet genuine affection. The boy leaned into the touch for a moment, a charmed, child-like grin spread across his cheeks. Then he turned back to his friends.

"And this is Batman." Robin turned to make sure that revealing their secret was all right, just in time to see Batman tugging at his mask, "who is also known as Bruce Wayne, one of the wealthiest men in the world and my adoptive father." With the mask gone, the strong lines of Batman's face flowed into the more open visage of Bruce Wayne.

"Welcome to Gotham," Bruce said, nodding. The hard edge was still behind the voice, but somehow the heartlessness was gone. Beast Boy started wondering if maybe Batman did have a special power: the ability to go from being all hardcore and tough to being a regular guy just by putting on or taking off his suit. It was certainly an unexpected switch! No wonder no one ever guessed the secret identity; they were two completely different personas.

"And this," Bruce said, gesturing to the other Robin, "is my other ward, Tim Drake." At this, the other Robin took off his mask. Beneath it, Tim had brown eyes and was indeed much younger than the rest of the Titans. His costume was somewhat different from the original Robin's, lacking the green coloring that blazed across his predecessor's uniform. The red and yellow and black alone seemed to suit him as it wouldn't the Titan's Robin, but the identical "R" on his chest was unmistakable. Tim stared at the older Robin, trying to smile. The boy looked rather intimidated.

"Oh, greetings, smaller version of Robin!" shouted Starfire, unable to keep her excitement at bay any longer. Before anyone could warn him, the alien had swept Tim off his feet for an enormous bear-hug in exuberant affection. "It is wonderful to know that there are more Robins than one on the earth to help with the victorious over-coming of evil-doers! I feel as though I have found a new friend, as dear as my old friend, but new!"

"Er…umph…nice to meet you, too," gasped Tim, eyes bulging at the force of the embrace.

That did it. The tension of a formal homecoming broke as the Titans, Alfred, and even Bruce started to laugh. Starfire was oblivious as she squeezed the younger boy wonder, who was now blue and gasping for air. Eventually Cyborg coaxed her to set him down, but even then she hovered near, staring at the new Robin with the same delight reserved for "fascinating" earth rituals and objects. The Titan's Robin shook his head. Thank goodness for Starfire. Somehow she had just made what he was about to do so much easier.

"And now it's my turn," the Titan's leader announced, not a tremble in his voice, although his heart quavered slightly. As the team turned to him in shock, Robin took off his mask for the first time in their presence. Without it, his face looked younger somehow, and his eyes were startlingly blue. In a very un-Robin-like way, he fidgeted with the mask between his fingers, feeling almost naked without it. He shook his head once, as though shaking off a mantle, and looked up, unconsciously straightening his shoulders. When he smiled, tentative as it was, the smile spread all the way to his eyes. It felt good to do this at long last. It felt right. The Titans were his family too, now.

"My real name is Dick Grayson. Welcome to my home."

--==OOO==--

After the clamor died down, Dick walked into the cave alone with Starfire. He had some explaining to do, especially to her, and he figured he had better do it quickly, and away from the others before he lost his nerve. Cyborg made his way over to the lab to fiddle with the gadgets on the workbench. Raven remained on the bed, a strange look on her face as she stared blankly into the dark upper reaches of the cave. Ignoring what Batman and company were doing, Beast Boy moved closer to her.

"Uh, Raven?" Beast Boy asked hesitantly. Raven looked at him. The changeling had rarely seen her face so closed before. He was suddenly not sure why he felt the need to talk to her, but it was too late to back down.

"What is it?"

"Why…why did you do that?" At her wondering raised eyebrow, Beast Boy explained, "back on that roof. You could have gotten out of the way, but instead you pushed me away. Why?"

Raven closed her eyes for a moment, and this time Beast Boy was sure he saw something flicker across her face. But whether it was pain or fear or something worse, he couldn't tell.

"Because I couldn't risk you getting pulled in," she finally answered.

"Why not?"

"Because," and now an edge entered her voice, "I could sense what he was. I knew that if you went into him, he would take you with him and you couldn't do anything to stop it. I knew that you wouldn't be able to fight him. And I thought that maybe I could."

"How did you know that would happen, though?" Beast Boy asked dubiously. Raven's eyes were suddenly hard and glinted strangely.

"Because when you fly within my soul-self, it's the same thing. I can pick you up and put you down anywhere I want to go and once you're inside me, you don't have any choices. You don't even realize the time you're there. I could hold you forever and you would never know it. And you could never stop it." Raven's voice died to a near whisper. Beast Boy had to enhance his hearing with his animal abilities to hear her say, "I'm just like him."

"No, you're nothing like him!" Beast Boy protested loudly. Raven looked up, caught somewhere between self-loathing and astonished shame, her expression diluted by self-control, yet wild with suppressed emotion. Beast Boy went on, "You couldn't be! You would never hurt anybody, or use your powers that way. Maybe you can do similar things, but you're nothing like he is. I'm sure of it. You're good and always will be. Robin trusts you, and so do I. Just because you're dark doesn't make you evil. I don't think you could ever be anything but good." Suddenly the changeling flushed; he had the urge to turn into a mouse and creep away under Raven's eyes. He couldn't tell if he had hurt her or made her feel better, but either way, her face was closed again. He slumped, his ears quite red. Why had he said all that? Why had he even bothered to open his mouth at all?

"Perhaps, Raven," said a voice behind them, interrupting a stunned and embarrassed silence, "you would like to go up to the room we've prepared for you, to meditate." Bruce, now dressed in something other than rubber, wore a suit and tie that looked expensive. He kept sneaking up on them and Beast Boy didn't like it. "I believe after your experience you will want some time to yourself."

Raven nodded, and out of nowhere Alfred appeared. Without a word, he held his hand up to her, and to Beast Boy's surprise, she accepted the hand down from the infirmary bed. Raven never let anybody hold her hand, let alone twice in ten minutes! After Alfred escorted her off around a corner, Beast Boy turned to look back at Batman.

"What about me?" he found himself asking. "What should I do now? Robin and Star are, um, talking, I think" he hedged. "Cyborg's going to mess with electronic…stuff over there, and Raven's off to zen-land. What do you want me to do?"

To his surprise, Bruce smiled. Like Dick, it transformed his face into one open and caring, and years younger, even if there floated an edge behind the smile. Beast Boy felt sure that Batman would always be hovering somewhere in Bruce Wayne's face.

"Well, there's always the game room…"


	4. Conflict Resolution

Author's Note:

As always, I don't own anybody in this story, just the tale itself.

Oh, and thanks to those of you who read/commented on my one-shot that I posted this weekend. Again, it has no relation to this story, just something fun I figured I'd mess with.

Enjoy!

* * *

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos…"

Raven floated in lotus position, her words echoing over and over in the silent room. As she regained control over her emotions, she settled into the quiet place in her mind where she could dissect and deal with everything dampening or hindering her inner sanctuary.

Ebon, first and foremost in her mind. The approach to Gotham had warned Raven that she was going to face something very evil. Her empathic senses had blared at her even before leaving the T-Ship: something wicked was waiting out there. Very few times had Raven been so shaken by what she sensed. Ebon was mortal, but he reminded her strikingly of her father. Trigon had had different abilities, but both Trigon and Ebon were built of evil and had the ability to use that evil to transcend the rules of space and time. So did she, truth forced Raven to admit to herself. A deep ripple inside surged as her sense of guilt and shame and fear returned.

"You're nothing like he is," whispered into her meditation. Beast Boy. He believed in her. It restored some of her control to think of that, and she tried to rationalize the calming effect of the annoying Titan. His friendliness and comfort had done much to allay her fears in the Batcave. As much as anyone could do for her, anyway. Internally, she knew that Beast Boy understood what it was like to fear the dark part within. He had a monster to control, too. That similarity must have given her solace. Deep down, Raven was aware that she and Beast Boy were very alike, little though they admitted it. But she had much more difficult things to deal with for the moment.

The experience within Ebon had been physically exhausting, not to mention abjectly terrifying. Raven had been right; Beast Boy could never have escaped had he been pulled in. But Ebon, for all his intelligence, had not known how like himself Raven was, and thus had not anticipated her resistance; he had probably just wanted to grab her since she had threatened and thwarted him. When Raven was finally drawn in, she had held herself tightly within her own power, her soul-self allowing her to remain separate from Ebon. Instead of serving as a portal from one place to another, the Metabreed leader was forced to try to deal with Raven directly inside himself. It had become a battle of wills.

Ebon, when he was between dimensions and therefore at his strongest, apparently possessed some basic psychic abilities, which Raven had not anticipated. He had tried to coerce her into joining him with his mind, not counting on her incredibly stubborn nature. It was only with an effort of desperate strength, and Ebon's surprise at her defiance, that she had pulled herself away from his mind at all and remained in control of herself. But she couldn't deny that a part of her body and blood wanted to give in, wanted to go along with Ebon. She clenched her teeth against her demonic impulses and fought against that longing that echoed inside even now.

The memory of the darkness, the pull of his vortex on Raven's demonic half, stirred fear and shame and panic in her molten core again. Everything Ebon was, the manipulative, dangerous, calculating being, she could become at any time if she lost control. Something about Ebon made her demonic-half frantic with wanting to break loose. Maybe it was that their powers were so similar. Maybe it was that he would have used her knowledge and her abilities exactly as her father had. But whatever the reason, Ebon nudged Raven's precarious emotional balance closer to tipping towards darkness. For a moment, Raven was just the scared little girl in her father's claws, a victim of his power and will forever. She shuddered and her mantra was interrupted momentarily. Something in the room broke.

"Steady," she ordered herself firmly. Raven would not let her fear drive her to lose control. Envisioning Azarath, she resumed her chanting, "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos…"

Had she not been bound to Robin, Raven would never have escaped. Although she could travel between dimensions herself, it required incantations and preparations; without them, she remained in whatever space she existed. But Robin's mind had ventured after her into Ebon and given her a much-needed guide, as she had no way of finding the path "back" to the real world without it. How had he known to call her? Raven knew that ever since she reached into his mind, they had been bound. Just as she bonded with every object she levitated, so she became a part of every soul she read or joined. As an empath, it was hard enough not to fling herself into every person who shouted their emotions at her. But with Robin it was far more complicated. The Titan leader was aware of the bond, and out of a sense of friendship, often used it subconsciously to try to "read" her. It made it more difficult to keep herself and her feelings away from his ever-seeking mind. And while it helped to know exactly what Robin intended to do in a battle and have the ability to respond in kind, it was not an awareness she would normally have chosen, even if it had saved her this time.

Carefully she attempted to examine and dismiss the emotional baggage from the encounter. While her friends erroneously believed that she buried or bottled her emotions, Raven actually had enormous understanding of her feelings, and she knew better than to let things fester inside. The dark girl was all too aware that a suppressed fear or experience could disrupt her abilities at a critical moment. Finally, she felt once again in command of herself, although she could not shake off the chill of the whole encounter. It had left her doubting herself, and more than a little anxious about trying to fight Ebon again. For the first time since Trigon's defeat, Raven feared the demon within herself and what she could become if she ever dropped her guard against it. She was on edge, paranoid about her own dark nature. Ebon's mind and soul-self were slimy, disgusting really, and she knew no amount of meditation could wash away the feel of it, either.

"Joy washes away sorrow and laughter cleanses the spirit," the priestesses of Azar had said. Laughter. Raven almost snorted in her meditation. She so rarely allowed herself to laugh. There was too much wrong with her for her to find anything funny. Although sometimes Beast Boy came awfully close. Not that she would ever admit that to anyone. Laughing wasn't her thing.

Raven's mind prickled, and without even stopping her chant to probe outward, she knew Bruce Wayne had entered the room and was standing somewhere behind her. A flicker of annoyance danced through her mind, but she immediately quashed it; it was his house, after all. Of course he had the right to walk in on her. She released the rest of the meditation back to the deep part of her soul and opened her eyes, turning in the air.

"I did not mean to disturb you," Bruce began as the lithe girl gracefully dropped from the lotus position to stand on the floor. Raven let the hood fall from her face and looked up at him, eyes betraying little.

"Thank you, but I was nearly ready anyway. And I apologize for breaking your lamp," Raven answered in her quiet voice, gesturing to the shards on the floor, the evidence of her loss in concentration. She glanced at the clock; it had been several hours since she had retreated here.

"I thought something like that might happen, so I arranged that nothing in the room be irreplaceable." Raven knew he had prepared this space especially for her. Not only was it decorated in shades varying from deep blue and black to a dark purple, but it contained books and hangings in a language she knew, the language of Azarath. Raven wondered where on earth Batman had found such books, if he had found them on earth at all. She nodded to indicate she had heard him.

"I would like to speak with you a moment, Raven." It was not a request, and his tone changed completely when he said it, from genial to intense. "I need to know what has happened, if anything has changed. What of the prophecy that you carry with you? Are you still a danger?" His voice was not quite menacing, but it certainly tinged with warning.

"It…has been averted," Raven said, proud that she was able to suppress a shudder at the memory, maintaining her aloof exterior. "Trigon did rise, and he did turn all life to stone, but the Teen Titans remained alive and fought him. They were able to bring me back to fight, even after I was used as his portal. I defeated him and restored all he had done to the world. You would not remember anything of what happened, as I was only able to protect the Titans from his curse," she said looking up at him. She kept her face closed.

"Then your future is uncertain, but is no longer bound to evil, correct? And yet you remain reclusive and apart. You still fear your own nature. Why? If there is another, similar threat to the earth, I believe I deserve the right to know. Is there more that may come from you?"

"There are always threats to the earth. My father is gone and I am free of him. There may be others who would come after him; there are many demons in other dimensions, some at least as powerful. I do not know if any will be tied directly to me," Raven replied in what she knew was her stiffest way. She did not take kindly to being blamed for more than one apocalyptic scenario in the same conversation.

"Then why do you remain apart?" Bruce pushed. Raven recoiled, but answered, her voice bitter. Honesty broke through her barriers and she spat a hated truth.

"How do you know I will not be that threat myself? I carry his blood, his bane, and I always will." Something in the room began to shake as her powers lashed out in reaction to her emotional state. "If I ever lose control, I could very well become him, or even worse. And none of you could stop me."

"You are nothing like him," Bruce said, echoing what Beast Boy had said earlier. The changeling's face flashed through her mind and she relaxed slightly. People believed in her, and as long as Raven had that assurance, she could manage. She held her feelings in an unbreakable grip and tried to regain control.

"No, but I could be used again." She spoke the words with quietly-suppressed horror.

"By Ebon." Bruce's voice had gone cold.

"It's possible. If it weren't for Robin, I am not sure I could have resisted him. The next time, I might not." Raven spoke flatly. She found the memory of the abyss within Ebon's soul-self rising up before her eyes. She tried to clear the image.

"What can he do? I need to know." Bruce's face was stony and his eyes blazed. Raven could see how the Dark Knight could be very frightening indeed.

"If I were to lose myself in Ebon, it's possible he could assimilate my powers and my knowledge. We are too alike; we are a similar psychic frequency, and whoever was stronger could possess the weaker. Ebon's powers allow him to manipulate shadows according to his will, and I am shadow. If I lost myself, I would melt away in his unending darkness and all that I was would become his." Bruce's questioning was goading her fragile stability. Raven closed her eyes, control intact, but her imagination running wild. It was a sickening thought: Ebon, using her, could destroy the world, and she would be the portal to it, once again.

"We will not allow it. It's too dangerous for Gotham… and for you." Bruce's eyes glinted, and for a moment Raven saw the shadow of the Batman within him. Then he breathed deeply and held her eyes in his own. The ice had melted and there was a thaw in the lines of his face.

"I turned you away once before, Raven. I will not be so foolish again. You will be welcome to stay with me until we defeat Ebon, and for as long as you like afterwards." Although the words were said simply, Bruce's eyes were warmer now and Raven felt safe in his presence. He crossed the small distance between them and placed a hand on her shoulder. Raven generally hated uninvited touch from people; it allowed too many feelings through her mental barriers. However, in this case, it was genuine concern that radiated through the contact, and she was grateful for it and the stabilizing effect it had on her emotions.

"Come. Allow me to escort you to dinner. I took the liberty of leaving you some suitable attire," he said, gesturing at the tall wardrobe in the corner of the room.

"Thank you," she said, and she moved out from under his hand. Bruce shut the door to allow her the privacy to change, and Raven reluctantly dug through the thankfully-simple garments inside for something "suitable." As she pulled off her cloak to exchange it for whatever came to hand, she was struck with a sudden realization.

"I wonder if the reason he wants me to stay is because he is still afraid of me," she thought to herself. "He sent me away from Gotham the first time because he was afraid of my destiny and the destruction he thought I would bring. He couldn't let me stay here because he didn't want to risk his precious city, even though he didn't seem to care about sending Robin with me. He feared me for himself, for what I represented. But now it seems like he wants me here, where he can watch me, just in case. I wonder if that is for my protection… or his? Or even Robin's?"

"Although," she considered, yanking dark cloth over her head, "there was also affection in his touch along with worry for my sake. Could it be that he wants to make up for leaving me to my fate before? Why should he care about me now? He certainly didn't before."

A familiar sense of angry betrayal rose in her heart again, but with years of discipline, Raven called her emotions to order before they could get out of hand. At least her emotions with regards to other people were easier to keep in check than her fears about herself. She tried to force indifference.

"What does it matter if he sent me away? It's not like I ever asked him to worry about me. He's just like everybody else was, everybody who feared me. Everybody but the Titans. Why should I care what he thinks or wants?" She settled her face and moved to open the door. The man waiting outside did not matter. Raven tried not to care about him his fear and doubt, or his motives.

But somewhere, deep down, Raven did care.

--==OOO==--

Beast Boy LOVED Wayne Manor. He never wanted to leave!

When Bruce had told Beast Boy to follow Tim to "the game room," Beast Boy had been expecting some out-of-the-way bedroom with maybe a foosball table, and a TV set-up for video games. What he found was actually a suite within the manor entirely devoted to adolescent fun. There was the video-game room filled with couches, chairs, and other assorted soft squishy things to sit on. Every game ever created and every Gamestation system ever invented could be found here, along with cheat books and multi-player pads, not to mention a big-screen TV. There were also rooms devoted to arcade games that needed no quarters, a room which had been converted into a bumper-car arena, a room with a laser tag and paint-ball course, and an indoor gymnasium suited for everything from basketball to football to, with a few conversions, indoor hockey and ice skating. Beast Boy thought he had died and gone to heaven.

"Wha…dude…yeah…" Beast Boy muttered, his eyes the size of dinner-plates.

"It's pretty cool," Tim said smiling. Beast Boy turned to him.

"THIS IS THE BEST PLACE IN THE UNIVERSE!" he shouted, bouncing excitedly in place until he accidentally changed into some kind of deranged hopping Chihuahua in his glee. Changing back, he grabbed Tim's arm and practically hauled him in to begin a video-game fest. The younger Robin laughed and followed light-heartedly.

As the hours passed, Beast Boy learned two things. First, he found that he liked Tim. It was still odd to be with a kid who was also Robin, albeit a very different kind of Robin; Tim was exceptionally intelligent, a bit on the stubborn and defensive side, but he seemed to have his heart in the right place. He showed Beast Boy everything, laughed at most of his jokes, and played any game Beast Boy chose. Tim wanted to please, and it became clear that the boy was hoping to be friends. Where there was no animosity, Beast Boy was happy to enjoy the peace and fun.

Second, Beast Boy learned that he was outclassed when it came to video games. He was good, but not nearly as good as Tim. The changeling had amazingly fast reflexes, but there seemed to be no end to how much Tim knew about beating each and every game through cheats or other maneuvers. So he lost a lot. Which was disheartening, although nothing new to Beast Boy, and it made those few times he won so much sweeter.

Every time Beast Boy ended victoriously, he did a triumphant dance across the room, sometimes bouncing into other animal shapes in his exuberant fun. Tim couldn't get enough of it and laughed and encouraged him, making those explosions even more elaborate. Beast Boy loved having an audience for his antics and played right along. One particular celebratory dance had been going on for more than fifteen minutes when another voice interrupted him.

"Beast Boy, I think you've found your soul-mate," Dick laughed as he entered with Starfire. The boy wonder was in slacks and a t-shirt, and without his mask, looked like any other amused teenager. Star, entranced by Beast Boy's unusually wild behavior, began immediately to copy him. While she couldn't transform into a bleating, tap-dancing sheep, she could imitate the sound Beast Boy was making and could crawl around on all fours. She laughed delightedly, commenting on "fun Earth celebrations." Tim and Dick looked at each other and a world of understanding passed between them in silence. Then they burst into hysterics.

Eventually, the four of them ended up piled in the center of the room on a particularly squishy cushion, laughing helplessly and innocently until they wept. For four young heroes who rarely let themselves act their age, it was an immense relief to be carefree and happy for even a little while, and the laughter was one of the healthiest things any of them had done in weeks. It was while they were in this state that Alfred entered and summoned them to dinner. As Starfire ran off to get changed and Beast Boy followed Alfred to see his room, Tim and Dick stood looking at each other in nearly-awkward silence, their recent laughter echoing in their ears.

"Some changes around here, I see," Dick finally said. He gestured to the new TV and some of the newer systems and games.

"Yep. The game room was in pretty good shape before, but Bruce told me I could add anything I wanted so… I hope you don't mind," Tim said nervously.

"No, I like it. All good ideas," Dick said nodding noncommittally. "I just…" He stopped unsure what to say next.

"Dick, I'm sorry," Tim suddenly burst out. The older boy looked down in surprise. "I didn't mean for things to change! See, I came here when I figured out who Batman was, and I tried to talk him into bringing you home. It wasn't the same in Gotham without you at Batman's side and I..." he ducked shyly, "you were my hero and I wanted you back. But he refused. No matter what I said, he told me that you had to find your own way. He was really stubborn about it."

"I can imagine," Dick said dryly. The younger boy rushed on.

"Then, when I lost my parents," here Tim gulped but went on bravely, "in a bank robbery, Bruce came for me. I'd been at the shelter a week and already hated it. He said that if I thought he needed a Robin so badly, that he would give me a chance to try for myself. I didn't know what to do, but I just couldn't say no. I wanted to be like you, I guess. He trains me all the time," Tim groaned, "and he's the strictest teacher I've ever had. But I've tried really hard to be as good as you are."

"You are. You're great," Dick said, meaning it. So here was Tim's story. A surge of kindred feelings rose in the young Titan; Dick knew exactly how Tim felt. Everything, from being orphaned to trying so hard to please Bruce Wayne, united them. They could have been brothers for how similar their lives were. With a start, Dick realized that Tim actually was his brother by their mutual, adopted father.

"Thanks, I guess. I still have a lot to learn, though. I'm not nearly as good as you. When I saw you tonight with Batman, it was incredible! It was the smoothest, the greatest fighting I've ever seen. I want to be just like that! And maybe someday I can go out on my own, too. I just want to protect people, so nobody ever has to lose their family like I lost mine." Tears stood in the boy's eyes, but his face was fierce.

"I know," Dick said, putting everything into those words, shaking his head internally at how very much they had in common. "Listen, it's a little weird with there being two of us, but as long as we're protecting innocent people, I think you and I can get along." Dick put a hand on Tim's shoulder and squeezed. He tried to look comfortable with the arrangement, but on some level, Dick still felt like he wasn't needed anymore; his father had a new son. Batman had a new Robin.

"I haven't really replaced you, you know," Tim said. His young face probed Dick's eyes, then continued shrewdly, as though he could read Dick's fears. "He still thinks about you all the time. I can tell. Whenever we get news about you from Jump City, he goes over it again and again, sometimes all night. And he has a picture of you in his bedroom; I've seen it. I think he misses you. I know he cares about me," he assured Dick hurriedly, "and he's told me to call him 'father,' but I know that you're still his son, too. He's a good man and he cares about you a lot. It's funny how easy it is for him to love you until you're his sidekick. Then he's all hard on you, until you pass some kind of mark. And you passed it, I guess. I don't think he's going to be hard with you anymore, once he figures out how to stop," Tim said reflectively.

"Thanks," mumbled Dick. He had no idea what to say. There was a lump in his throat and his heart was hammering. His father missed him? Was proud of him, even? Bruce Wayne had been a father in all the ways that counted for years, and affection, so rare from his mentor, still meant so much. Dick's heart so wanted to hear those words from him directly. Slowly he collected himself and tried to smile at Tim.

"Thanks for telling me this. We'll be okay. Now," he said taking a deep breath, a more familiar twinkle in his eye, "we'd better both move fast or we'll be late, and I know Bruce's distaste for tardiness hasn't changed!"

--==OOO==--

Elsewhere, in a darkened building miles away, a shadow roiled in frustration.

"Cut it out, Ebon," Talon snapped at the living void, as she gingerly wrapped a place on her leg that had been singed by a starbolt. "You're makin' me nervous."

"Yeah, what's up with you, man?" Hotstreak said, absently snapping his fingers and igniting a flame only to douse it again. "Somethin' eatin' you?"

"I've never seen anything like that girl. I've got to find a way to bind her powers long enough to absorb them. She could make me stronger than anybody in the world. Somehow, I'm going to control her and take everything she's got. Then I'll be unstoppable!"

"How're you gonna do that?" Talon asked scathingly. "We're outnumbered here, Ebon. Gotham was easy when it was just Bats, but now with the Teen Morons out there, it's worse than Dakota. We barely made it out! How're you gonna absorb anythin' if we're in jail?"

"Speak for yourself!" Hotstreak said, eyes blazing. "I can handle those punks, even if you can't."

"Three on seven odds ain't good, Hotstreak, even in your deluded world," Talon replied, rolling her eyes.

"Shut up!"

"Quiet! She's right," Ebon said, rising up between them and menacing the simmering Hotstreak. "The three of us alone aren't enough to beat them. New plan. If I'm gonna get that girl, I need more time to work on her, and you two need not to get your butts kicked by the Teeny Titans. For that, we gotta find some backup." He began to slide into the shadows again, teleporting himself to another place.

"Where ya going?" Hotstreak shouted to the retreating darkness.

"To get a ringer. Someone the Titans can play with while I'm busy."


	5. Learning to See

Sorry for the long hiatus! Now I'm on an updating frenzy, so I'll try to be a little more regular about getting this story going. I promise, I won't leave it hanging forever!

Reviewers: you totally rock! Thanks for all the support!

Legal stuff: blah blah blah I don't own the Teen Titans or anybody else in this story blah blah blah.

That should cover it.

* * *

"Titans, go!"

Spreading out in their standard attack pattern, the Titans raced to deal with threats that seemed to come from every side. Robin leapt forward to handle some of the robots armed with blasters. Starfire moved into the air to aim starbolts at the robots and the gun-turrets blocking the team's route. Cyborg took up a stationary position at the rear, using his beam-cannon for cover, then running ahead to clear a path with sheer brute force. Raven, from a higher altitude, provided shielding against the various laser and cannon turrets, and generally kept her teammates from being hit, along with removing robots from the immediate vicinity whenever she had a chance. Beast Boy, through his rapidly-changing shapes, lent his aid wherever it seemed necessary.

"Dude, how many robots has this guy got?" the changeling shouted before he took to the air in eagle-form and dropped on yet another automated foe, smashing it with gorilla force.

"Lots," Robin said between breaths as he levied another kick on the robot he was trying to dismantle the hard way. "Keep your heads up!"

"I see the target," Starfire shouted. Angling down, she floated between Robin and Cyborg and gestured to a bright green computer chip floating in a beam beyond yet more towers and guards. She and Robin were immediately beset by yet more robots and distracted from their aim.

"I got it!" Beast Boy shouted, before turning into a ram and clearing a path through the barricades and debris in his way.

"No, I got it!" Cyborg reacted, jumping over the nearest gun-turret and landing beside the ram. He seemed to "accidentally" bop the green creature on the head, almost running him off-course and into a wall. Beast Boy immediately changed to an octopus and wrapped his tentacles around the bionic Titan, holding him in place. Cyborg struggled, but the green Titan refused to release him.

"Hey, let me go! No fair! …Aagh!" Cyborg shouted. A robot had come from behind and took aim to shoot them both. As the embattled pair shouted and ducked, a wave of black light swept the robot into a nearby embankment and smashed it to bits. The two looked up in surprise.

"Boys…" Raven sighed, landing lightly in front of them. She reached into the beam and pulled out the chip. All the rest of the robots and gunners deactivated, and a familiar voice echoed across the arena.

"Well done, Titans." A door slid open behind Raven, and the billionaire behind their exercise stepped in. "I'm very impressed. Your teamwork is impeccable. Well…nearly impeccable," he said, gesturing to a small war happening off to the side.

"Dude, I totally had it! If you hadn't gotten in my way…" Beast Boy shouted, returning to himself and getting in Cyborg's face.

"Who're you kidding, Gumby? There's no way you were gonna beat me to it!" Cyborg returned. Beast Boy's ears flicked up angrily at the "Gumby" comment.

"You got in my way just so you could get it first! That's cheating!"

"Hey, tofu-eater, you're the one that got in MY way! I was so going to get there first!"

"I believe you are both wrong," Starfire said, smiling innocently at them. "It was Raven who made it to the target first. Although I was under the impression this was a test of the working as a team, not a race to be first."

"Yeah, good job, Raven," Robin said, smiling at the dark empath.

"Thanks."

"Now that you've finished the joint-course," Bruce said, trying to speak over the shouts of Beast Boy and Cyborg who were continuing to argue, "I'd like to see each of you in the individual course. If you're up to it, that is…" he said, a wry challenge in his voice.

"Of course we're up to it!" Robin said. "And I'll go first."

--==OOO==--

The last few days at Wayne Manor had been surreal. Since the Titans really couldn't wander around Gotham with Bruce, which would raise suspicions when they were later seen with Batman, they had spent little time in the city itself. Gotham was pretty gloomy compared to Jump City, and Dick was most at home at the estate anyway, so no one really felt that staying around the manor was a big loss. Although Tim had to attend school during the day, the other Titans managed to "console" themselves without him by having massive Gamestation tournaments, playing any sport they wanted, and exploring the countless rooms and corners of the enormous mansion. It was only this morning over breakfast that Bruce had reminded everyone of the training facility below. He wanted to see them in action and thought it was about time they all test themselves again, demonstrating the source of Robin's crazy intensity when it came to practice. This, among other things, he had learned from the Bat himself: training saves lives.

As Beast Boy watched Robin prepare for his first run at the individual course, he felt a bit of jealousy was through his green body. The course wasn't easy, but surely the ex-Batman sidekick would have an advantage; it was geared to someone with his particular skills, and none of the other Titans could quite match Robin's abilities. And the team already knew that Tim held the highest score ever on the simulation. Up in the control tower, Bruce leaned into the loudspeaker's microphone to give Robin the rules of the game.

"This is a new course, Robin, so don't expect anything familiar. There are two different objectives. The first is to reach the end of the maze," and at this, the empty 50-yard long space noisily converted itself into a labyrinth of dead-ends, blind turns, and traps, "and deactivate the panel." A large square button illuminated in green waited at the opposite end.

"The second objective is to score as many points as possible by taking out the targets, which will be illuminated in blue." From their vantage-point, Beast Boy could see what looked like little bulls-eyes light up across the maze. "Along with the targets, you will amass points both for enemies deactivated or disabled and for time efficiency. You will lose points for any 'hits' scored on you." The large digital clock lit up over the arena along with the tally-board. "And of course," Bruce said, looking at the other young heroes in the tower with him, "the maze will change for each of your runs, so going first isn't a disadvantage. It will be all new for each of you."

"This technology is amazing!" Cyborg said, looking at all the various panels and devices that apparently controlled the set-up below. "How do you get the lasers to be so keenly attuned to a person's biometrics that you know where and when the hit was scored?"

"We can go into that later. Now, Robin, when you are ready, step into the maze and the clock will begin," Bruce said. Robin, confident as always, grinned at the team above, gave an eager thumbs-up, and ventured into the maze.

In some ways, this was a far greater challenge than the group arena had been. The team course had been designed to allow multiple people room to fight in tandem; this was narrow and intended to confine an individual. The twisting avenues of the maze meant a person could go a long way down a wrong-turn before having to go back over dangerous ground to start again. As Robin made his way through the trial, he encountered everything from robots armed with lasers to holograms to false walls. Of course, nothing in the arena could actually hurt him; the lasers were bright but not dangerous and the rounds were blanks since nobody wanted to get killed while training.

Beast Boy, bored by the boy wonder's success, sighed and looked around the tower at his friends. Bruce was nodding to himself as he watched his adopted son master the course. Cyborg was apparently looking for tips on how to beat the system, whenever he wasn't wide-eyed at some technological innovation. Starfire's smile was radiant and she often shouted "Glorious!" as she watched Robin conquer one section after another.

Beast Boy's shoulders sank. He wished somebody were that excited about him. The beautiful alien had only had eyes for Robin since the first day they met, which wasn't so bad since Starfire wasn't really Beast Boy's type anyway. But ever since Terra, the changeling had felt kind of lonely. His search in Tokyo for a girl had been born of wanting something like what his teammates shared, although maybe not so sappy. Starfire and Robin were like the prince and princess of legend; the lovely innocent lady and the white knight. Not his thing.

Turning away from Robin's well-meaning redheaded cheerleader, Beast Boy was surprised by Raven's face. Her normally cool expression was turned towards Robin with an animated look of…admiration? Beast Boy felt his jaw fall out of his face. Raven was actually impressed by Robin's hopping around like some kind of monkey while he kicked robots to bits? Oblivious to Robin's run in the course, Beast Boy found himself fascinated by Raven's reaction.

"No way," he thought to himself staunchly, "there's no way she's got a thing for him, too. Not Raven AND Starfire. Not again! That's unfair! I know girls dig the cape, but still! Raven? He's WAY to serious for her! She needs somebody more like…" But he felt a sudden flush in his face and decided to try not to pursue that line of thinking anymore.

--==OOO==--

Raven watched as Robin navigated the individual course with an interesting mix of dispassionate approval for his skills and telepathic adrenaline at what she sensed from him. It was a constant problem in the Tower whenever the team was training, but her psychic awareness was far more acute with Robin because of their link. Generally, Raven was able to tune him out eventually, either by meditating or by increasing the physical distance between them, but now she felt herself being drawn in to his energy and enthusiasm. She could feel the bond between them deepen as his battle-senses and his excitement brought an instinctive heightened awareness into play. For an unguarded moment, Raven was right with him in the maze, seeing through his eyes as he launched a birdarang at a target while in the middle of a flying kick at a robot, feeling the exhilaration of the challenge. There was no denying Robin's incredible dexterity, agility, and a seeming ability to defy gravity. But what always caught Raven off-guard was the thoughtlessness of his style: Robin would throw himself off a height and figure out how to land on the way down. It was daring, and innovative, but also detached from all fear, locked in a running analysis of the next move. It was a fascinating interplay between joy and logic, and Raven found herself experiencing it with him. It was with a rush as keen as pain that it all came to an end.

"Well done," Bruce called into the mic as the slightly-winded Robin made his way from the exit up the steps to the control tower. The scoreboard next to the time-clock flashed "Robin (DG) – 243 points – new record, safety test" and the boy wonder punched the air in triumph. Below his score floated a "Robin (TD) – 237 points – high score, safety test."

"Booyah!" shouted Cyborg, clapping the Titan's leader on the back as he entered the tower. "New record! Way to go, Rob!"

"Yes, it was glorious! You are amazing, Robin! It was wonderful to watch you in the kicking of the butt!" Starfire shouted, bouncing and throwing her arms around him. Of all the Titans, Starfire experienced pure and unadulterated happiness on behalf of her friends the most freely, and the most exuberantly. Robin blushed.

"I just did my best." He said it softly, but his eyes moved to Bruce's and he held his head with proud dignity.

"Well done indeed, Dick," Bruce said, nodding in approval. "That was an impressive mix. You have a very well-balanced style: flexible, yet focused. You have certainly improved these last three years." Robin smiled at the normally-stoic man over Starfire's head as she continued to hug him joyously.

"Thank you…father." The look that passed between them spoke more than words.

"Now, who's next?" Bruce said, breaking the moment and turning to the other Titans.

"I guess it's my turn," Cyborg announced. "I'm gonna whip your butt, there, bird-boy!"

"Yeah, we'll see," Robin retorted.

--==OOO==--

Cyborg's run was different, not only because his fighting style was so unlike Robin's, but because the maze had adjusted itself again. Watching the bionic Titan steadily conquer the course, Beast Boy felt his attention wavering again and again, refocusing on Raven. She seemed completely unaware of Robin and Starfire's not-so-subtle reactions to each other; if she did have a thing for Robin, she was good at ignoring them and their together-ness. Her face had returned to its normal impassive expression. There was no spark of interest for Cyborg's run as there had been for Robin, either.

"I wonder if she'll be interested for my turn the way she was for Robin's," he found himself thinking idly, a warmth spreading inside. "But it's not like I…she…" Beast Boy's heart suddenly bounced in his chest. Did he have a crush on Raven? The ice princess herself? No way!

"But she's not an ice princess," a part of the changeling's mind was saying, "she's warm inside. She just keeps it all hidden. Raven's the most vulnerable of us all because she's the most alone, so she just can't let herself be warm."

"No, nope, not going there," he argued with himself. "Had a thing for Terra and that one sure back-fired. Let's just stick with all the ladies who laugh at my jokes."

"Okay, one, there really aren't 'ladies' clamoring after me, and two, who cares if she laughs at my jokes? Isn't it everything she doesn't say far more important? Besides, she does think I'm funny. Her happy side told me so. She just hides it. So that means…"

He cut that thought off at the pass before it got away from him. Beast Boy had no idea what had happened to the part of his brain that seemed to be defending this impossible idea, this absurd thing about having feelings for Raven, but he wanted it to stop. It was like an itch you can't reach: the more you think about it, the worse it itches until you go crazy trying to scratch it. He had no idea when the itch had begun, but it didn't matter. Scratching it wasn't working.

"I'll just ignore it. I'll just ignore her. And then it'll all go away…"

--==OOO==--

Cyborg's run came to an end, scoring in at 233. He had hit more targets than either Robin before him, but had taken longer to reach the end, largely because it was no easy thing to muscle around a dozen robots at a time. Jubilant with his own success, though, he gave Beast Boy a noogie as soon as he entered the control tower.

"Beat that, ya grass-stain!"

"I will, you'll see" Beast Boy shouted, trying to get out from under the fist of his buddy.

"Not that I wouldn't love to see you two boys 'duke it out,' but if you don't mind, I think I'll take my turn now," Raven said out of nowhere. She was beginning to feel restless. Robin's run had gotten her energy flowing, and being around him and Starfire as they stood together in companionable, more-than-friends discussion was getting on her nerves. It was as good a time as any to try the run and release some of the pent-up things on her mind.

--==OOO==--

Okay, the whole "ignoring Raven" bit was definitely not working. Beast Boy had to admit that little itch was really starting to tickle. Watching her run the course, reacting to different scenarios, Beast Boy realized that his animalistic powers allowed him to read Raven's body-language as clearly as he could hear Starfire shout. Animals didn't communicate in words but in things unspoken, and those same things were clear "tells" of the dark girl. If her shoulders twitched, if she squinted momentarily, if she moved a hand, he knew what she meant by it. It was no different than reading the birds of the air or fish or any other animal he had ever known. With a start, Beast Boy recognized he had probably been reading her body-language and understated facial expressions for years without ever being aware of it. And now that he knew he was doing it, he couldn't stop himself.

Beast Boy was bewildered. Why on earth was he suddenly so interested in Raven? Where did it come from? He felt his ears color with a surge of something too scary to identify and tried periodically to look anywhere but the arena. But even with his eyes averted, he could not help his train of thought, which seemed parked at the "Raven" station for the moment. And, now that it was her turn against the course, he didn't have any excuse not to stare at her. As Raven continued her run, Beast Boy started finding his mind wandering to the oddest places.

"Wow, you know, Raven's really graceful. I mean, Starfire's gorgeous and all, but Raven's got this kind of delicate, strong grace I've never seen before…"

"Geez, that was a smart move, using her power like that. She really thinks fast on her feet, I mean, even when she's floating…"

"It's funny the way her power actually lights up her face. She looks happy when she's using it, and she looks brighter somehow, too…"

"I wonder what 'Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos' really means, anyway. She's so smart about languages and stuff…"

"…I'm really in trouble, aren't I?"

When her turn was over, everyone was surprised to see the scoreboard rate her at 239, higher even than Tim's best, second only to Dick himself. Reentering the tower, blushing slightly at the outpouring of congratulations, Raven shrugged, her eyes bright at the exercise. Her hood had fallen off during the course and she seemed content to let it lie for once. Therefore, Beast Boy had an uninhibited view of her face. Her stoic expression could not hide the tiniest curve of her mouth, a nearly-invisible smile.

"Well done, Raven. Yours is the fastest time of all by a significant margin, although you didn't hit as many targets as the others," Bruce noted after the much louder praise of her teammates.

"I know. But I prefer to achieve my goals directly, rather than waste my energy with 'style-points.' It's not about flair, it's about efficiency." Her voice had its usual sardonic edge, but Beast Boy, listening closely, now heard something else behind her sharp remark. Defensiveness? Could Raven be embarrassed that she was not as flashy a fighter as Robin? It sure sounded like it.

"A very effective means of fighting," Bruce nodded.

"May I now take a turn at the course of individuals?" Starfire spoke up. Her bright green eyes were shining. "Friend Raven has scored so well. I wish to try my own skills of battle in comparison."

"Go for it, Star!" Robin said brightly.

"I'm sure you'll do great," Raven said, miffed as Starfire hugged her. Cyborg said something encouraging to her, but Beast Boy missed it because he was once again looking at Raven, squirming after the hug.

"She's beautiful. It's a secret beauty, but she really is beautiful…Oh, man! What am I doing?"

--==OOO==--

Starfire's run was uneventful as far as Beast Boy was concerned. She scored 235, being slightly faster than Cyborg, but she got tangled once or twice when she tried to do too much at once and missed some targets. Not that he'd paid any attention whatsoever; Beast Boy only sat studying the tiny bit of Raven he could see out of the corner of his eye and trying to talk himself out of the frightening feeling that made his blood pulse faster.

However, it wasn't long before Starfire returned to the tower, breaking his contemplation of the mage and his own reaction to her. Robin gave the alien princess a congratulatory hug when she came up, and the she seemed as pleased with her own performance as she had been for everyone else; generosity of spirit was one of Starfire's greatest strengths.

"Glorious! Such challenge, such fun! I only wish all battles were so enjoyable!"

"Indeed," Bruce said wryly. "With the safeties on, you can stretch yourselves without risk, and it becomes a good test for you at your best. Of course, in the real world, there are no safeties and every hit doesn't just lose you points, but could mean your life."

"Do you ever run it without the safeties?" Raven asked.

"Yes," Bruce said, "but only when I train myself. When the bullets and lasers are live, it's a very different experience. The whole dynamic of the course changes. And, there are a couple of additional challenges that get added in, some more advanced simulations. But I think we'll wait before we try any of you without the safeties on."

"How do you turn them off?" Beast Boy found himself asking. Something had popped into his head, something really dumb. All this thinking about Raven had him suddenly wanting to prove himself to be better even than Robin. The original boy wonder had garnered so much of Raven's attention on his run, and without knowing entirely why, Beast Boy wanted that for himself. Impulsively, he was willing to take a few risks if it meant that Raven might see him as she did Robin. It was probably some kind of stupid guy thing, but it was a very seductive idea, and it could be so cool!

"There's a manual override down below that controls it," Bruce answered, as Cyborg and Robin suddenly began peppering him with questions about the specs of the training arena, probably to update the one at the Tower. Beast Boy listened for a couple of minutes before he made up his mind. After all, nothing ventured, nothing gained!

"My turn!" Beast Boy announced cheerfully. Cyborg and Robin stopped their discussion with Batman to wish him luck, and to give him grief, and Starfire gave him a happy hug. He stole a glance at Raven; she appeared to be ignoring him as always. "Not for long," the changeling thought to himself.

--==OOO==--

As Beast Boy took longer than the others to enter the arena, Raven closed her eyes. Centering herself, she sought out the unusual emotions that had tickled her mind only a few moments before by sorting out those that were familiar, or at least not unexpected. Robin's emotions were predictable, anyway: pride for himself and his team, nervousness yet a sense of contentment to be around his father, and a strong sense of embarrassed affection for Starfire. Cyborg was happy for the team but a little disappointed in his own showing on the course, and was absolutely taken with the technology, his enthusiasm permeating his every question. Starfire's emotions were pretty simple: happy with her own performance, happy with Robin, happy with everything. Raven almost snorted; Starfire was always so happy! She moved on. Bruce's feelings were the most complex and took the most time to analyze in full: pride in his son, intent focus on the team's abilities, and, deep down, affection for all of them, mixed in with some anxiety as well as detached approval for the simulator, the team, and a host of other things. Nothing was out of the ordinary, and she could not identify anything that could have caused that ripple she had sensed earlier. Raven would have tried a deeper analysis, but as Beast Boy began his turn at last, she was suddenly distracted. All thoughts of the emotional disturbance she sought flew out of her conscious memory even as they tugged lightly at her self-control.

Immediately, Raven knew something was different about this run. Beast Boy had rarely looked so focused before; his changes between animals were flawless and his choices in which animal-strengths to bring were exceptional. But he didn't seem to be reacting with the same confidence the others had. She sensed greater trepidation in him than she had in the others, as though he were acutely afraid on some level. Something was not right. While the other Titans cheered, Raven found herself sidling up to Bruce. Raven glanced at the man, whose eyes were narrowed and his jaw set.

"What is it?" she asked in an undertone, fearing suddenly that she knew the answer already.

"Something's wrong; the system isn't reacting as it should." He spoke quietly, but his deep voice carried.

"What do you mean?" Robin asked, turning swiftly to his father.

"I believe Beast Boy has disengaged the safeties and the run is now live. And deadly," Bruce said darkly, fingers furiously flicking over the console.

"WHAT?"


End file.
